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Hi, am new to the forum and have been surfing it for a while to try to find an answer but haven't yet...So I tought I ask it here.Due to start med, so wondering what to choose.Tempted by one pill a day, not tempted by Agrippa / efavirenz side effects.So complera or stribild ...Research nurse told me she is not that keen in stribild because of the kidney markers that got artificially super high, meaning she is not sure how to control kidneys is the most used marker is corrupted. She then suggests complera as being as potent, little side effects, one a day.

400 calories seems doable to me (easily done at dinner or lunch, who do you recommend and would breakfast be better?) also any idea of how these two are if you miss a dose / take it too late ? Am travelling quite a lot to Europe so time difference may be an issue.

Ay view or experience is very welcome. Am starting beginning of feb (also vl is 35k s comp,era and stribild would both be ok)

I just started on stribild. I really wanted it because of all the good things i've read. I'm getting kidney stuff checked frequently and so far havent had any reason to believe my kidneys arent holding up just fine. my VL was too high for the complera and i wasnt keen on the calorie counting. im also resistant to sustiva so stribild was my only once a day option left.

I am on Complera and so far so good. I take my meds with lunch and generally don't have any problem exceeding the 400 calorie amount. The few times that I have been close (or under?) I think I have had minor gastro issues (gas, churning, etc.) but nothing significant by any means. In terms of travel and timing - I travel across the US a fair amount and asked my doc how to adjust. His response was "just take it with the same meal regardless of the time". He was much more concerned about skipping doses than when a dose was taken.

There are a few other points worth noting - the first is that the side effects for any of the new meds generally only applies to a small fraction (less than 10%) of people (although I don't know about the kidney issues for the Quad), and the other point is that people are more likely to post and discuss meds when they are dealing with problems - and there is a whole population of people with no problems but they are not posting.

Hi I started Stribild November 4 2012 I had a viral load of 137,000 and cd count 500 I went back to the Doctors November 21 2012 I have cd count of 645 and VL of 300 I have had no side affects. I recently went back to the doctors I'm UD and cd count is at 27% Kidney and liver functions are normal I would definitely recommed the Pill just make sure your doctor monitors you.

im also resistant to sustiva so stribild was my only once a day option left.

Not true. There are other once a day options available that do not include Sustiva. Prezista, Norvir and Truvada is one off the top of my head and there are others. They involve more than one pill, but what's the big deal about only one pill? I don't get it.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I can understand once-a-day dosing being an important consideration, but I seriously can't understand the allure of it being all in one pill. You still have to stop and take it, whether it's one pill or two or three or four.

My combo consists of four pills, once a day, and I take them all at once. It's no more difficult to swallow them all at once than it is a single pill. I pop them all in my mouth, take a big swig of water, throw my head back and swallow. Simple.

There are several once-a-day combos available, so I suggest you do some additional research. You can read about the various meds in our Treatments section and you can also read about starting meds in our Lessons section.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Yes, i suppose my phrasing was off. I did mean, ONE pill once a day. Surely, you must admit that there are some benefits to only taking one pill? Discretion, accessibility, portability, etc. I'm not at all opposed to taking multiple pills a day but in addition to my multivitamins, vitamin d supplement, vitamin b12 supplements, and my anti anxiety meds, i'd rather not add 3 more pills into the mix if i can help it.

Surely, you must admit that there are some benefits to only taking one pill? Discretion, accessibility, portability, etc.

Nope, not really. Discretion? I've popped both my hiv meds and other meds in public many times and not once has anyone ever commented or even noticed. Nobody really gives a shit what other people are chucking down their throat.

Accessibility? Don't get this one - I can access one pill as easily as I can twenty-five.

Portability? Nope, even the smaller pill cases can normally hold more than one pill.

While it's a matter of personal preference, I just don't get why some people will forego combos that consist of more than one pill, in favour of one pill combos that may be heavier on side-effects (or dietary restrictions). It makes no sense to me, but maybe I don't have the pill phobia that many seem to exhibit.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

i haven't noticed any of the "sustiva effects" perse. Definitely nothing changed with my sleeping or fatigue. I do feel a little buzzed a few hours after i take it, but that has been fading over the last few days (i'm only on day 11) and it was super mild to begin with. so far im adjusting to stribild pretty well i'd say. light nausea over the first few days, no other GI issues. Some vivid dreams, but i like them!

There's a ton of options out there! The trick is finding one that works without any major side effects. For me Atripla has worked really well mostly, but I suspect I am entering a period of threshold now with the medication where it is causing me to have mood changes and sleep issues so I am seriously thinking of switching to something else entirely. I tried Complera but it gave me terrible insomnia, worse than Atripla. I want to try the Quad, or possibly Truvada/Isentress, or maybe something else.

Treatment is so standardized now -- take the current preferred list of regimens approved by NIH, flip a coin, then pick that one. By that I mean they all will suppress your viral load. We can sit and quibble about side effects, but the bottom line is that they all have possible side effects, but most people don't get them or they'd never made it out of clinical trials.

So big woop -- you end up being a poor sap that gets side effects. You just move onto the next regimen. There are no guarantees, and if you expect there to be then maybe you should not have gotten HIV in the first place.

They involve more than one pill, but what's the big deal about only one pill? I don't get it.

You make this statement quite frequently, so it can be said your reasoning can go for both wanting to take only one pill, or being ok with taking multiple pills. It's personal choice when it comes down to it.

If the OP wants to stick to one pill, then good for him. If you're ok with multiple pills, good for you. Obviously his preferred choice is the single pill, so might as well let him go that route, then let him go for option two if the first one doesn't work.

I wanted to go the single pill route as well. Why? Because I just wanted one pill to manage. I am completely capable of managing multiple pills, but I feel better with one. Had there been no single pill options, I would have gone the multi-pill option with zero hesitation.

There is no need to constantly degrade people because they want what's convenient for them.

There is no need to constantly degrade people because they want what's convenient for them.

Huh? If you think my occasional mention of how I am mystified that some people will chose a combo that has a higher side-effect profile over one with a lower side-effect profile just because the former is only one pill and the latter isn't, is "constantly degrading people", then I'm also mystified as to what to say to you.

Maybe - "Grow a thicker skin. You're going to need it in order to thrive with hiv."

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Hi Windy , I have often ask the same question or replied the same as Ann did in this thread about pill counting when considering a regimen . I never thought anyone would ever take offense to it the way you have though .

There are so many post by people who's time has come to begin meds who worry about side effects and all the other considerations that goes into choosing the right combo . Asking or suggesting not getting too hung up on a one a day combo greatly increases choices and options when making that decision , it would seem that NOT bringing this up is to not give sound advice to the person who ask for it .

I think when you are on these forums a lot and read most of the postings its easy to think that some people on here are being overly redundant and pushing their views too hard. You have to remember that most people probably just want an answer to their question and aren't reading every thread and hearing the same advice over and over again.

I think when you are on these forums a lot and read most of the postings its easy to think that some people on here are being overly redundant and pushing their views too hard. You have to remember that most people probably just want an answer to their question and aren't reading every thread and hearing the same advice over and over again.

You know, you're absolutely right. I know I've certainly gotten into the habit of trying to cover all bases (particularly with newer members) while posting over in the Am I forum and I've found it usually pays off over here too. Where hiv is concerned, you can never really have TMI.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

You know, you're absolutely right. I know I've certainly gotten into the habit of trying to cover all bases (particularly with newer members) while posting over in the Am I forum and I've found it usually pays off over here too. Where hiv is concerned, you can never really have TMI.

ann,one pill, 4 pills, all at the same time.what is the big deal?i for one always appreciated you telling it is this way.

Whethere one pill or a few pills is a big deal to some or not is besides the point. One pill a day does not necessarily mean convieneince or side effect free. For example, I am on Truvada and Isentress. I love this combo because there are no side effects for me and no dietary restrictions. In comparison, Atripla, the sustive scares me, the Complera has food requirement, and Stribild has a fourth med that can be avoided altogether. So really it depends on the individual and Ann is correct that one pill does not necessarily mean convenience.